I Need, And I Will
by NephilimEQ
Summary: SEQUEL to "I Want, But I Can't". Please enjoy!


**A.N. - This is a sequel to "I Want, But I Can't". Read that for reference...or, now that I think about it, this works as a stand alone piece, too. Sort of. Enjoy!**

 **I Need, And I Will**

Aaron Hotchner stared across the room, his eyes resolutely trained on the petite blonde who was bent over her tablet, scanning through files.

He had told himself quite some time ago, back when they'd had their one night together, that it could never happen. That she was taken, and he was still suffering, and that according to Bureau regulations, they _couldn't_ have a relationship.

But as of this moment, she wasn't with Will, and he felt like damning propriety.

Dammit. He needed her in his life; he knew it and she knew it.

And he was going to do something about it. He was going to _do_ something about it.

He waited, watching as she put her tablet into her bag and he took his time putting his things together, making sure that they were the last two in the room…and as soon as the last person left, he walked to the door and locked it, grateful that the blinds were already closed.

JJ looked up at hearing the sound of the lock turning.

"Hotch? What are you…?"

She was cut off as he walked up to her and, putting his hands on either side of her face, brought her lips up to his and then kissed her with everything he had, knowing that this might be his only chance. She was stiff for a moment, obviously surprised, and then fell into it, her own hands reaching up to his. Their tongues dueled, both of them fighting for dominance, determined to come out victor, but they both lost, and instead succumbed to the chemicals rushing through their systems.

They both needed it, there was no denying it in how they reached for each other, her hands clinging too tightly to his shoulders, his hands grasping just a bit too firmly to her hips, the friction between them almost too much, but just on that side of pain that kept it intimate and _theirs_.

He was afraid that he might have waited too long, but from the way her hips melded into his, from the way her fingers slipped up to his neck, to his jaw, touching him in an almost reverent manner, he knew that it hadn't been too long. They hadn't missed their chance after all.

At that realization, all of the tension left him, reminding him of falling apart in her arms after their one passionate night.

They pulled back at the same time, and he buried his head in her neck, unable to meet her eyes, and in a broken, harsh whisper, he said, "God, I thought it was too late, JJ."

He could feel her shake her head as her fingers ran through his hair in a gesture that caused a tear threaten to escape, and her words were soft and the most blessed reassurance that he'd ever heard, as she said, "I was waiting for you, Aaron…I was always waiting for you…"

He let out a shaky laugh.

"Took me long enough, huh?"

She nodded and chuckled in return, and he could hear the watery tone in it, so he pulled back and saw unshed tears lingering in her eyes as she stared back at him, unable to find the urge to take his hands away from her, still not quite believing that it was real, that she was in his arms.

JJ nodded one more time and then said, "Yeah…it really did."

"Sorry about that," he said, completely contrite, and she shook her head and said, in a stern tone, "I don't give a damn how long it took, Aaron. What matters to me is that you took the step forward. I could never do it, otherwise you would have spent the rest of your life second guessing it."

He arched an eyebrow at her.

"Profiling me, are we?"

She rolled her eyes and shook her head a second time, saying, "Don't start," and he simply gave her a tight-lipped smile and nodded. On an impulse, he brought his hand up and pulled her to him for another kiss, unable to keep away from her for any amount of time. They lingered on it this time, savoring the moment that was too long in coming, both of them relishing in the _rightness_ of it, and the feeling of solace that they both seemed to find from the kiss.

Slowly, they pulled away and carefully straightened their clothes, and JJ reached up and rubbed her thumb over his lips, removing the lipstick left behind.

He raised an eyebrow at her and said, "You know that they're going to know anyway, right?"

She smirked and nodded, and then said, giving him a sly look, "Of course they'll know, but this way we have two very powerful words behind us." He gave her another look and she smiled up at him as she picked up her dropped tablet, and then said, "Plausible deniability, Hotch."

He smirked back at her, and they stepped back out into the bullpen, neither of them caring about all of the knowing looks sent in their direction. And, if Hotch had happened to have his fingers resting in the small of her back as they walked out of the conference room, no one said a word about it.


End file.
